


rise to heaven (brush away the comets)

by joydecoy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Light Angst, M/M, Magical Realism, Slow Burn, trc!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21834169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joydecoy/pseuds/joydecoy
Summary: depending on where you began the story, it was about the boy in the moonlight.
Relationships: Liu Yang Yang/Na Jaemin, mostly implied tbh
Comments: 11
Kudos: 46
Collections: ’00 FIC FEST: ROUND ONE





	rise to heaven (brush away the comets)

**Author's Note:**

> to hara: thank u so much for submitting such a cool prompt, i loved it to bits and i hope this fic does it justice !!

there were only a few things that humans cannot reign control over: miracles, cats, and the passing of time. jeno, unfortunately, had a strange love for all of those things. there was a certain joy in knowing that they were unattainable, in being chosen by them out of millions of others. he held onto the foolish hope that they loved him back, too.

his miracle had arrived in the form of his family moving to china. _guangzhou_ was simultaneously a glittering city, full of promise, and a sharp knife clenched tightly in a fist, poised for attack. even in the most mundane of moments, the air thrummed with tension.

jeno revelled in it.

it felt like the last gulp of air before the rollercoaster plummeted, the murmuring of dark stormclouds heavy with potential. he thrived on that on-edge feeling, buzzing with all the possibilities in the world.

his mother had chosen a high-end apartment in a quiet, desolate district, far away from the noisy bustle of town. jeno had stayed indoors while his mother and sister had joined the daily morning rush of white-collar workers, watching the way the district faded out to a certain nauseating loneliness when they left.

“i’ll miss you,” his mother had told him every day before she left, kissing him on the forehead. she was a simple, kind woman, with eyes that turned up at the corners when she smiled, just like him. jeno thought he’d never been through a single day without missing her.

the neighbourhood cats had crept out in the empty afternoons to look for food, and jeno had let them raid the kitchen, stealing away food meant for jeno’s breakfast and lunch. somewhere along the line, he had begun to love them as much as his family. thus, his childhood had passed like this: in long stretches of time away from the rest of the world.

he couldn’t pinpoint when exactly the world started to move under his feet. all he had known was that it was no longer silent, but instead a quiet murmuring in the air. 

in history class, he had learnt about emperor qin shi huang, a powerful man who revolutionised ancient china, but a weak man, too, who fell prey to the desire to control time. 

he wanted to _live_. to live forever. 

that’s stupid, jeno had thought to himself. pseudo-magicians and fake elixirs of immortality couldn’t control time. humans have been searching for the answer to immortality since the start of history. if anyone could do it, the world would be in chaos by now. 

immortality was the means to an end, an unending existence that granted freedom from the constraints of time. in chinese religions, there was a certain obsession with immortality that had arisen over dynasties of treacherous kings and spilled blood. it was less of a want but more of a buzzing in the air that still existed even till this day, a potent, powerful thing.

jeno couldn’t pinpoint when exactly the world started to get move under his feet. all he knew was that one day, the buzzing air filled his lungs and choked him whole. 

  
  


-

  
  


taeyong had a deceivingly easy approach to magic, renjun thought to himself. he really shouldn’t be surprised at this point anymore; it was taeyong, after all. he’d always been an overachieving, yet humble person, even when renjun had only known him as donghyuck’s elder brother and nothing else. 

“breathe in, out. in, out.” taeyong instructed. sitting tiny and cross-legged across from renjun and donghyuck, he was worlds away from his reputation as the terrifyingly powerful witch of _guangzhou_. next to renjun, donghyuck fidgeted restlessly. 

“hyuckie, focus, _please._ ” 

“it’s not my fault, there’s ants crawling up my legs,” donghyuck complained, finally springing up and brushing his hands over his jeans. “why are we here again?”

“so you can stop waking up from nightmares crying about random people dying.” renjun said. he flopped backwards onto the grass, gazing up at the clouds passing by. 

liwān lake park was lush and vibrant, scenic in a way that seemed to have come directly out of a painting, each brushstroke of greenery lovingly illustrated. visiting the park always cleared renjun’s head. on the early monday morning, taeyong had teleported all of them into the cordoned-off area of the park, comprising of a small, off-colour portion of one of the lakes, as well as a vast, grassy area. 

the lake was clear and still, perfect for meditating. accompanying it was the full moon, in all its spiritual glory. in theory, taeyong had reasoned, today would be perfect for practising magic.

it took ten minutes for them to find another spot, nearer to the lake and without the threat of ants, and another ten minutes to properly focus again. 

“in, out. in, out. in…” there’s that feeling of floating, being untethered by the reins of reality. in these small moments, renjun relishes what little control he has over his magic, even just for a while.

“hyuckie first. focus on your breathing. in, out. in, out. gaze into the surface of the lake, and clear your mind completely. open yourself up to the future.” 

donghyuck’s gaze burned. renjun watched, fascinated, as the surface of the water rippled violently. between the sparkling splashes of water, flashes of images emerged: the indecipherable front page of a newspaper, the sway of a robe sleeve, the glint of an amulet necklace. they’re gone as quickly as they arrived, leaving behind only a reflection of the full moon.

“that was twice as long as last time! good job, hyuckie,” taeyong said, pleased. renjun clapped lightly as well. donghyuck pretended to be embarrassed, but renjun could tell he was preening a little under the attention.

“alright, renjun, your turn. reach for the emotion closest to you right now, and direct it at the lake.” at taeyong’s words, renjun closed his eyes and _searched_. happiness jumped out at him, pure and yellow, a rare feeling that flowed in abundance when he was around taeyong and donghyuck. 

gripping the feeling close to his chest, he visualized the lake resounding with joy, water rippling outwards in a circular motion. but it wasn’t over yet.

he continued to reach inwards, searching for the dragon spirit that lay dormant inside him. it was a flighty magical familiar, choosing to hide away in the worst possible moments. more often than not, it disguised itself as a sprawling, dark tattoo across his back, refusing to emerge. when he felt its presence in his mind, felt the tattoo on his back shift restlessly in prickles of the skin, he imagined himself crouching low to the ground, reaching out a tentative hand. 

the tiny, green dragon wrapped its tail around itself, hissing lowly. renjun took a deep breath, and forced the joy in him to emanate out of him in waves. _please_ _,_ he wanted to tell the dragon. _please help me for once._

the dragon roared, flames exploding from its open jaws, overwhelming him in terrible, unbearable heat. the full blast of renjun’s emotions broke free from him jaggedly, a loud cacophony that grated on his ears.

when he opened his eyes again, there were waves of water materializing outwards from the middle of the lake, just as he had intended. but instead of slight ripples, the waves rose high into the air. they drenched taeyong’s pants and retreated quickly. 

donghyuck whistled. “groovy.” renjun slapped him on the head.

“renjun, that was a good attempt. we’ve talked about this before, try to rein in your emotions,” taeyong told him. 

renjun nodded, eyes downcast. the aftermath left him exhausted and ashamed.

“gather your energy again,” taeyong instructed. “in, out. in, out. in…” 

renjun sighed. 

  
  


-

  
  


on days of the full moon, donghyuck prepared himself for the worst. heightened energy in the air meant more vivid, and even possibly dangerous dreams for him. the key, however, wasn’t to prevent the dreams from happening, but to face them head-on, no matter how terrifying they were. 

lying in bed with pieces of moonstone and selenite under his pillow, donghyuck closed his eyes. when he opened them again, the world was on fire. 

donghyuck felt like he was _burning_ , like the sun was blazing hot underneath his skin. the flames licked at him impatiently, urging him forward. he stumbled, disoriented and lost.

there was nothing but pitch-black darkness surrounding him, nothing but a scratched-up wooden door in front of him that refused to open. if this were any other situation, he would lean against the door and wait, but now, the longer he stood still, the hotter he burned. he needed to move, and he needed to move _now._

there was a faded shade of reddish-brown on his hands —blood?— but he paid it no mind, clenching his hands into fists and banging hard on the wooden door. it refused to yield.

donghyuck cursed under his breath, stuck. taeyong had been making him study dream magic again now that winter break was almost arriving, but he’d been slacking off. right now, he wished he could manipulate dreams as expertly as him. 

but what he knew was this: dreams were wondrous, dangerous things that had a life and personality of their own. with the right amount of skill, a witch could tame and mould them however they want. _be careful_ , taeyong had warned. dreams always had a purpose, an end goal in mind, and neglecting it can have disastrous consequences.

donghyuck could sense that this dream was young, inexperienced, or just impatient— it was lacking attention to detail, with no other living creature here except him. whatever this dream wanted from him, it wanted to finish it as fast as possible.

the door wouldn’t be difficult to break. 

donghyuck reached within himself, searching, searching, until he felt that familiar tug of magic and _pulled._ he visualised a glowing ball of blinding purple light that grew and grew, gathering all its power, until — 

it burst out of him in a blast of force, slamming the door open. all of a sudden, he felt completely drained, as if the light had dimmed inside of him. donghyuck made a mental note to meditate and gather focus again later. but for now, he just had to find out what this dream wanted from him.

he was prepared for anything behind that door, body tensed into a fighting stance as he stared out into the inky darkness.  
  


“...hello?”

donghyuck froze. he strained his ears for footsteps, the rustling of clothes, anything. but there was merely silence. 

“what do you want?” donghyuck asked into the darkness. 

_“i want to go home.”_

donghyuck spun around quickly, and came face to face with a boy he’d never seen before. he was about to question how he could even see the boy in the pitch-black darkness when abruptly, donghyuck realised the boy was _glowing_. 

light blanketed them, settling lightly. the boy was youthful, yet his eyes spoke of an old soul. he was barely taller than donghyuck, with brown hair and soft, yet piercing features. the strangest thing was his clothes — a long, white traditional robe that brushed the ground and hid his hands from view.

there was a still-water calmness about him, like donghyuck was in his own bedroom again, staring up at the full moon before he had gone to sleep that night. he looked serene, otherworldly, _ethereal._

the boy gazed at donghyuck peacefully. before donghyuck could find the words to speak, he disappeared.

donghyuck blinked once, twice. then, he woke up.

  
  


\- 

  
  


depending on where you began the story, it was about the boy in the moonlight. 

  
  


-

  
  


_guangzhou_ was a curious place, a forceful melding of the old and the new. set in the backdrop of sleek, towering buildings were quaint little shops on cracked cobblestone paths. it was especially distinct in shopping districts like _shangxiajiu_ , where high-end western fashion shops and local food stalls leaned onto each other like old friends. 

renjun thrived in places like this, where people from all walks of life merged and interacted. on days when he’s done with work and school, he was content to sit at one of the many outdoor cafes to observe the people passing by, each with their unique lives and worlds. 

it was early september, the kind that swung the pendulum of weather with a careless hand. orange-red leaves drowned in the sunlight of the pavement of the crowded shopping street, pressed flat under the feet of people passing by. school break starting tomorrow meant that _airi_ academy had piled renjun’s bag full of homework, and squeezed his schedules full of activities. still, the concept of waking up at noon for a whole month was definitely something to look forward to.

his head buzzed, the hot afternoon melting heavy against his skin. he shielded his eyes from the blinding sun with a hand, while the other gripped tight onto the handle of his bicycle. the warm wind ruffled his hair with a fond hand, but his uniform shirt and long maroon pants stuck onto him uncomfortably.

“wait for me!” he heard jeno call out from behind him, and inwardly rolled his eyes. in his mind, he saw jeno weaving awkwardly through the crowds of _shangxiajiu_ street instead of sticking to the sides of the road, apologising to every person that he almost crashed into, slowing down every time he saw a cute puppy.

“catch up, slowpoke,” renjun yelled back, swerving into the narrow alley to donghyuck’s house. the alleyway was dim and quiet, with graffitied cobblestone walls that were lined with miscellaneous items and the occasional street hawker, but it was already a second home to him. 

doyoung’s stall came into view, with its wooden and bamboo steamers full of dumplings. the front of the stall proclaimed “doyoung’s dumplings” in red, while doyoung himself busied himself with a customer. when he saw renjun, he waved. 

“renjun-ah! we just got a new batch of truffle dumplings today!” doyoung called out.

“sorry! johnny brought back durians! save some for me, please?” renjun grinned when doyoung agreed reluctantly. he waved a quick goodbye and pedalled even harder now, leaving the dumpling stall behind. the wind ran past him in a quick rush. 

the end of the alleyway was quickly approaching. renjun was so focused on it that it took him a minute to register that something up ahead was blocking his path, causing him to screech to a halt abruptly. 

it was a body, lying motionless across the alley.

“holy shit,” renjun breathed. 

a young boy, not much older, nor older at all, than him and jeno. tattered clothes, bloody head wound, closed eyes, leaning against the dirty wall of the alley. he looked tiny, defenseless. without a second thought, renjun scrambled to dismount from his bike and hurry over, kneeling next to the boy. he hovered, uncertain.

“what—” jeno nearly crashed into renjun, bike screeching as he braked abruptly. when he spotted the boy, he stared, amazed, and quickly dismounted from his bike. 

“hey, wake up.” renjun tapped the boy on the shoulder. no response. “wake up.” he tried again, shaking him by the shoulders. all of a sudden, the boy jolted back to consciousness, eyes snapping open, darting over to the two of them. he scrambled backwards, limbs flailing and panicked.

“get away from me!” the boy yelled, voice cracking. his wide eyes were filled with fear, hair a chestnut brown colour, messy and falling into his eyes as he watched them warily.

“do you know korean?” jeno asks. when the boy doesn’t reply, jeno switches to chinese. “we-we’re —” he turned to renjun, helpless. “dammit, i forgot the chinese word for friends.” 

renjun kept his eyes on the boy. “don’t worry, we won’t hurt you.” he let the chinese words flow out of him, fluid as water, and kept his voice as gentle as he could. “we’re your friends.” 

“how do i know you’re not lying?” the boy asked suspiciously. there was still blood trickling from his left temple. 

“we can get you medical help, that’s all. after that, you can leave. we just want to help,” renjun almost pleaded. 

“pinky promise.” renjun held up his little finger with a kind smile.

the alleyway was silent, as if the crowds in _shangxiajiu_ street, every single street vendor and shop owner, were holding their breaths at that very moment. a beat of silence _._ a hundred possibilities hung in the air between them, luminescent. 

_please trust me._

the boy’s features softened.

  
  


-

  
  


they must have been a sight to see when they entered taeyong’s shop, with jeno piggybacking a bloody, bruised boy, and renjun murmuring to said boy in soft chinese. 

_yangyang_ , he told them. _my name is yangyang_. he offered nothing else, and they asked for nothing else.

their bikes lay abandoned in the alleyway. renjun talked to fill the silence, speaking about everything and nothing at the same time: celebrities, the weather, the homework piling up at school. yangyang’s eyes were closed as he rested his head on jeno’s shoulder. 

the overwhelming smell of herbs always struck first, a strange acrid concoction that left one reeling back in disgust and surprise. sunlight washed over the little shop generously, inviting. there were rows and rows of herbs of all colours in shelves, one for each little square. the store was empty in the late afternoon, and renjun sighed in relief.

taeyong was tiptoeing for one of the little glass jars of strange leaves high up in the cabinet behind the glass counter, back facing them. “good afternoon, welcome to _jing ying_ herbal shop! sorry, i’ll get to you in a sec,” he called out. his chinese had improved over the years, but there was still the barest hint of an accent in his words.

“hyung, the ginseng was in the storeroom all along,” a new voice sighed, and donghyuck appeared from the back of the store with a bundled rag, purple stains evident on his black shirt and light-wash jeans. the sunlight rendered him golden for a moment. 

“we really have to rearrange soon, i swear—” donghyuck said as he walked inside the room, then promptly froze when he spotted yangyang. 

“wait, i can explain—” renjun started.

“don’t bother, we see things like these all the time,” donghyuck told them, eyes never leaving yangyang. “come on, let’s get him to the first-aid room.”

taeyong looked momentarily stunned, but gathered his composure quickly. “you can explain later; we need to stop his bleeding first.” 

donghyuck hurriedly led them down a narrow flight of stairs hidden away at the back of the shop’s storeroom. the first-aid room was a tiny room in the well-lit basement, close to the staircase for convenience. 

the room was sparse: just two beds, a chair, and a first-aid kit by an empty desk. jeno carefully eased yangyang into a sitting position on the bed in the first-aid room, while renjun and donghyuck stood awkwardly to the side. when taeyong entered with a box of supplies, they all made way for him. 

“alright, kid. i’m here to patch up your wounds, okay?” taeyong knelt down next to the bed. he cast a glance at the others, lingering on donghyuck as if trying to convey something. finally, he turned back to yangyang. “let’s start with your head. where exactly does it hurt?”

yangyang shifted, restless. “could they leave first?”

taeyong turned to the others. “sorry, guys.”

“no, no, it’s fine. it’s proper protocol.” donghyuck jumped in hurriedly. “shit, i completely forgot. come on, let’s go.” with that, he pulled them out of the room.

  
  


-

  
  


“there we go!” taeyong beamed. “sorry if this hurt too much, but it’ll get better over time. do you want to call your parents and tell them where you are? they must be worried sick.” 

“they— they’re not available right now.” yangyang said, looking away.

“well, that’s alright. do you have any friends to call? any place to stay?” taeyong insisted. 

“n-no. i was trying to find a place to stay, but this happened.”

“oh, would you like to stay here instead? taeyong offered with a soft smile. “we don’t have much room, but it’s better than trying to rent a place in _guangzhou_.” 

“really?” yangyang looked at taeyong, surprise and vulnerability written clearly on his face. his voice trembled. “for how long? how would i repay you? what would i eat? what would i do?” 

there’s nothing but sincerity shining in taeyong’s eyes. “as long you like. whatever you want.” 

a pause. then a long exhale. “...thank you.”

  
  


-

  
  


yangyang was a quiet, jumpy person. he was fidgety, too, even more so than donghyuck — sitting at the dining table next to him, donghyuck felt the table rattle from just how hard yangyang was bouncing his leg on the floor. he’s still in the clothes renjun and jeno found him in, albeit cleaned up and bandaged now. donghyuck didn’t really know how to act around him, so he just focused on the food in front of him and ate instead.

the dining room was small and cozy, located on the second floor of the shophouse, above the herbal shop. they were seated on red plastic stools, at a round table full of homemade food that taeyong had made today, to celebrate johnny’s return from his business trip to singapore. donghyuck ate messily, shoving rice into his mouth with bits of tofu and white chicken, but yangyang merely picked at his food.

all throughout dinner, taeyong and johnny carried out conversation seamlessly, trying their hardest to include donghyuck and yangyang. yangyang visibly relaxed as dinner went on, even laughing at one of donghyuck’s jokes and wrinkling his nose at the chopped-up durian that johnny took out from the fridge. at that moment, donghyuck decided that he liked him.

donghyuck and taeyong led yangyang around the store afterwards, taking care to avoid the collection of magical ingredients hidden in the far corner of storeroom. surprisingly enough, yangyang showed interest in the herbs they keep, asking lots of questions and looking genuinely interested when taeyong went off on a tangent about them. 

when it came to the bedrooms upstairs, taeyong awkwardly cleared his throat. “we don’t have much space here, so i’m afraid you have to sleep in hyuckie’s room. you can sleep in mine and johnny’s room too, but there’ll be less space.”

“it’s okay,” yangyang told him. “i don’t mind.” 

yangyang didn’t speak at all as the two of them prepared to sleep. he just flopped onto the thin mattress on the floor, snuggling into the threadbare blanket that they kept around for guests. donghyuck stared from his cross-legged position on the bed. curled up like that, yangyang suddenly looked vulnerable, too small for this world. 

donghyuck spoke up. “you aren’t like, doing anything illegal, are you?” 

yangyang jumped at the sound of his voice, before laughing. “no, i’m not.” even now, his voice had a strange accent that donghyuck still couldn't place.

“good, i don’t want to die early. have you seen this face?” 

yangyang snorted, but didn’t reply. the room slowly faded into silence as they settled into their respective beds.

donghyuck turned over to peer at yangyang’s sleeping face, barely illuminated by the moonlight. he couldn't help but wonder if yangyang’s arrival meant anything significant. he was a witch after all; he knew everything was connected in one way or another. coincidences and incidents like this were common, and usually led to a bigger event in the future.

it was just uncommon, though, for donghyuck to feel as if he was forgetting something. 

  
  


-

  
  


the witch had always seen immortality as a mythical creature, forever out of reach, and him as the child who never quite grew out of fairytales. the child in him was still obsessed, scrambling on all fours in a frenzy, frothing at the seams, killing for a glimpse of something _more._

oh, all the things he could do if he were immortal! the places he could see! the people he could be! a million glittering possibilities all at once, and most stunning of all, the whispered promise of _power._ years of practising dark magic was slowly but surely consuming his body, but if he could live forever, oh, he could be the most powerful witch of them all! his body as an eternal vessel for the magic that could grant his most wildest wishes. 

yangyang was the key to all this. 

when the witch had opened the basement door and found him gone, he wasn’t particularly surprised. of course the boy would run. a simple scrying spell would reveal his location with a flick of his wrist. what he wasn’t expecting, however, was the witch of _guangzhou_. he was powerful, well-known throughout the international association of magic for being its youngest, most promising member.

the witch could probably sense yangyang was...unusual somehow. it was only a matter of time before he found out the truth.

kun and taeil would be searching for yangyang, too.

the witch cursed under his breath. he had no time to lose. he lifted his head to gaze at the bright, brilliant moon.

  
  


-

  
  


the following day, donghyuck spent his time by the front counter, watching as yangyang tucked himself away in the storeroom, inspecting the herbs and plants stored away for future use. when donghyuck called him out for lunch, he shook his head, and turned away to fiddle with a mason jar in his hands.

“uh, okay. suit yourself.” donghyuck muttered. what yangyang did wasn’t his business, anyway. 

time moved slowly in the shop. it was the musty, sun-filled atmosphere that slowed donghyuck’s movements, left him slumping over the counter while taeyong tended to the only customer in the shop. it’s doyoung today; although donghyuck had a feeling that he was here more to try and flirt with taeyong than to stock up on ginger for his dumpling seasoning again.

doyoung’s perched on one of the tall stools at the counter, resting his head on his hand as he watched taeyong work on grinding the ginger with a pestle and mortar in the storeroom. donghyuck thought there were enough stars in his eyes to outshine _guangzhou_ ’s light-polluted night sky. 

“don’t you have more dumplings to make?” donghyuck asked, and doyoung turned to make a face at him.

“i’m on my lunch break, thank you very much. don’t _you_ have like, i don’t know, some random plant to get high off on?” 

donghyuck stuck his tongue out in response. luckily for doyoung, the next insult died on donghyuck’s tongue as the door chimed with a cheerful sound. 

jeno was no stranger to the store; it’s how donghyuck had made him friends with him in the first place. he usually took his time to talk to donghyuck and taeyong and walk around the store to look at their recent stocks, but when jeno walked in today, there was a flustered look on his face. 

he rushed up to the counter. “hyuckie! do you have rehmannia in stock?” he asked breathlessly. 

“rehmannia? it’s pretty rare, but i’ll go ask taeyong,” donghyuck darted off to the storeroom. taeyong’s sitting on the floor, mortar and pestle still in hand, laughing with yangyang, who’s sitting beside him. lingering at the doorway, donghyuck was almost too reluctant to break the mood.

“taeyong! do we have rehmannia?” taeyong jumped a little, laughter halting. his eyes, previously curled up in joy, turned focused. 

“how much does the customer need? there’s not much left over from last month.” taeyong was on his feet in a flash, heading deeper into the storeroom and disappearing. yangyang shifted awkwardly, curling up into himself, and turned away from donghyuck. 

“i don’t know, jeno asked for it.” 

“jeno?” taeyong re-emerged, gingerly cradling a mason jar of black, charcoal-like dried leaves. “can you take over this for doyoung? i need to warn jeno on how to use it.” just like that, he left for the counter, where jeno was pacing restlessly in circles. 

donghyuck blinked, then resigned himself to his fate of small talk. plopping on the ground beside yangyang, he cleared his throat. “so, what have you been doing in the storeroom?” he asked, not looking yangyang in the eye.

“i’ve been just looking around, i guess. the herbs are interesting,” yangyang said. “i haven’t seen them for a long time.”

“oh? where are you from?”

yangyang averted his eyes from donghyuck’s curious ones. “i don’t know. i don’t remember, actually.” he scratched the back of his neck. “it’s been a long time since i’ve been to my hometown.”

“what about your family? your parents?” 

yangyang’s face darkened. before he could reply, taeyong called out from the counter. 

“hyuckie! jeno wants to talk to you!” 

“well, that’s my cue.” donghyuck shrugged, mortar and pestle still in his hands, and headed outside without looking back.

jeno wa sitting next to doyoung on the tall stools, playing with the paper bag of leaves in his hands. he smiled when donghyuck approached. “thanks for helping me out, hyuckie.” 

“why did you need rehmannia anyway?” donghyuck asked curiously. as he took a closer at jeno, he saw the damage of sleepless nights on his face, in his heavy eyebags and sunken cheekbones. 

at the start of their friendship, donghyuck couldn’t help comparing him to a prince, with a broad jaw and charming smile. he carried the air of a wealthy man, too rich to talk to common folks like donghyuck. now, jeno seemed like a shadow of his previous self, eaten away from the inside-out. donghyuck wondered if it was purely from school stress.

jeno brightened. “okay, so i was browsing around on the deep web, and then i saw this recipe for making an immortality elixir. it had a thousand over likes so it must be credible, you know? and it had the strangest ingredients _—”_

“what?” donghyuck cut him off. he had forgotten about jeno’s penchant for the strange and the mythical. luckily, jeno had yet to know about magic. 

“but this one has a thousand and five hundred likes!”

“on what, deep web facebook?” donghyuck scoffed. “what other ingredients do you need? eye of newt?” 

“close,” jeno said, looking away from him. “i need an eye from a frog, but the recipe didn’t specify what kind, so i got renjun to kill one from our backyard.” 

donghyuck winced. from behind jeno, doyoung gagged exaggeratedly. 

“alright, jeno. just be safe; wear goggles and gloves, okay?” taeyong said gently. jeno nodded, and with a wave goodbye, he rushed out the door. 

“i love him, but he can be a little weird sometimes,” doyoung commented. donghyuck couldn’t agree more.

  
  


-

  
  


_shangxiajiu_ greeted jaemin everyday like an old friend. the early morning air was tender and peaceful, still untouched by the daily hustle and bustle of the streets. as jaemin passed under the grand arch of _shangxiajiu_ ’s entrance, he took a deep breath, letting comfort fill his body easily. 

before the sun kissed the horizon, most of the stores were still slumbering, dead to the world. walking among them felt like a strange, out-of-place experience, even till now, but jaemin revelled in the morning air fresh against his skin. 

he counted the number of stores he passed by, peering into each of their dark little worlds. once he reached fifty, the familiar side alley came into view. without the light from the sun, it was no more than a thin smudge of shadow.

from there, it was a short walk to another side road filled with its own charming version of shophouses. the teahouse came slowly into view, standing proudly in its little corner at the end of the road. it was a shining beacon in the darkness; jaemin could hear the speakers playing songs from that cpop group that ten was currently obsessed with, could see the neon lights of the sign beckoning to him.

_chang an_ teahouse was distinctly...ten, to say the least. the interior was painted a deep red, reminiscent of chinese new year yet slightly off-setting it, and the walls were covered in drawings made from crayons and paint and graffiti, done by renjun and ten. round, white tables with matching chairs completed the look. like donghyuck’s house, ten’s home was on the second level of the shop.

ten had told him the meaning of the teahouse’s name a long time ago, back when jaemin was still a foreigner stumbling over his words. “it translates directly to long-lasting peace. i want the teahouse to be a place of solace, a home away from home where people can rest. can you help me with that?”

bewitched, jaemin had agreed.

ten’s voice rang out strongly as he belted out the song, twirling the broom in his hand as he gestured and deftly flitted between tables. he did a little spin, and the jade necklace under his shirt smacked him in the face. jaemin snorted, setting his knapsack behind the counter. 

“jaemin-ah! you’re early today!” ten grinned. “do you know this song?”

“why would i?” jaemin laughed. 

“well, you should!” ten shot back, still swaying back and forth to the beat. jaemin shrugged as he tied the mustard-yellow apron around his waist. from there, he made quick work of wiping down the tables and checking the supplies. finally, at 7am sharp, ten flipped the sign at the door to ‘open’, and thus, a new day officially began.

tucked away from tourists and boasting a reputation for deep, flavourful bubble tea, the teahouse was a little secret among the locals of _guangzhou_. its customers varied from young adults to the elderly, but above all, the tea house attracted people who wanted a respite from the rest of the world. 

the hours passed by like a steady stream of water, a gentle flow of time that jaemin didn’t notice until he felt a tap on his shoulder as he swept the floor. when he turned around, he was faced with renjun’s fond smile, along with donghyuck and jeno behind him.

jaemin smiled back without thinking. “uh, hi?”

“it’s five minutes till you’re off work, dumbass. did you forget?” renjun said. jaemin glanced at the novelty owl clock behind the counter. sure enough, it was quickly reaching 7pm. the sky outside was already dark. 

“i didn’t even notice,” jaemin said sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

“come on, we’re eating dinner at hyuckie’s place. go pack up.” renjun chided.

thankfully, the streets outside weren’t as crowded as jaemin had expected it to be, and he walked alongside donghyuck, while renjun and jeno bicker as they walked in the front. 

the wide cobblestone street of shangxiajiu was a calming, welcoming sight. he tipped his head backwards, gazing at the full moon. it was luminous even on a cloudy day like this, and jaemin drank in the sight, almost tripping over his own feet. 

donghyuck snickered. 

jaemin made a face at him, then changed the subject quickly. “is taeyong or johnny cooking today?”

“probably both. the store was pretty empty today.” donghyuck paused. “oh, i forgot. we have a guest today.”

“a guest?”

“so, basically renjun and jeno found this random teen bleeding out in an alley, and somehow he lives in my house now,” donghyuck sighed. “he’s homeless, and taeyong took pity on him. but don’t worry, he seems nice.”

_sounds like taeyong, alright,_ jaemin thought to himself. taeyong had taken pity on jaemin too, when he’d first come to _guangzhou_ and didn’t know a word of chinese; jaemin had worked in _jing ying_ herbal shop for a few months organising and taking stock of supplies. “huh. what’s his name?”

“yangyang. i don’t know his surname. i don’t even know where he’s from.” 

jaemin furrowed his brows. “and you let him live in your house? what if he like, kills you in your sleep or something?”

“no way,” donghyuck scoffed. “i can definitely take him on in a fight. and i have taeyong on my side, too. he doesn’t stand a chance.”

the familiar wooden sign of _jing ying_ herbal shop came into view. they broke apart into single file to climb up the steep staircase behind the counter, leading to donghyuck’s living room. with a sloping roof above their heads and plank wood floor beneath their feet, donghyuck’s home was small but cozy.

the rich aroma of homecooked food greeted jaemin first. taeyong and johnny were already sitting at the dining table, chatting away with a boy that looked about jaemin’s age. from jaemin’s position, all he could see was a head of light brown hair.

johnny’s eyes lit up when he saw them. “kids! i haven’t seen you in so long!” he pushed out of his chair hurriedly to greet them.

“we’re 20.” renjun deadpanned, but accepted johnny’s hug and hair ruffle anyway. 

jeno grinned. “how was singapore?” 

“same old, same old. i think i sweated a literal bucket when i was there.” johnny ushered them to the plastic stools set up by the dining table. the boy peered at all of them curiously. he was in donghyuck’s old clothes that he outgrew a while back, a blue sweater with sleeves that draped over his hands. 

“ah, i forgot. this is yangyang. i’m sure you all know him by now.” taeyong said, noticing yangyang’s gaze. “be nice.”

“when are we not?” donghyuck said. to yangyang, “this is renjun and jeno; you met them when they saved you. and this is jaemin.”

yangyang did a little wave at all of them, eyes flitting among them distractedly. when jaemin locked eyes with yangyang for a split second, something in him surged forward in tides. jaemin was used to attractive people, but yangyang had a sort of beauty that made him look timeless, almost grand. 

but there was something else. 

jaemin squinted, a strange feeling in his chest. something about yangyang was… special, somehow. something that jaemin couldn’t find the words for, but he felt it as clear as day.

he looked away, turning his attention to the array of food in front of him. as the night went on, between shared stories and laughter, the thought slowly faded away.

  
  


-

  
  


MOON STUCK IN SKY? — 2020, 21 November

According to NASA, a typical full moon lasts for around 2 to 3 days. However, NASA released worrying news today that the moon has been observed to be slowing down in its orbit. The internet is similarly buzzing, as people have noticed the moon has been present in its full moon phase for over a week above the majority of Asia. 

Such a phenomenon has never occurred before in the entirety of human history, and has left researchers deeply puzzled. More importantly, they are worried that the disruption of the moon’s trajectory could potentially endanger all of life on Earth.

"Currently, we suspect that an asteroid has collided with the moon, which sent it off-course. If this is the case, it is possible that the moon could be sucked into the Earth's gravitational pull. It is a very, very small possibility, but a possibility nonetheless." A planetary researcher from the University of Idaho commented.

Currently, there has been no other news from NASA.

LIAN HE ZAO BAO

  
  


-

  
  


_rehmannia reverses aging,_ jeno had told the others. it nourished the blood and hormonal system, rejuvenating the body. the other ingredients in the immortality recipe, however, increased spiritual energy and vibrations in the air, and helped to align chakras.

“chakras?” donghyuck asked. he peered suspiciously at the dirt-brown liquid in the apartment’s only cooking pot. “are you kidding me?”

“hey, this is serious stuff!” jeno protested, still dressed in his blue silk pajamas.

donghyuck looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, even though he had been the one who turned up unannounced on their doorstep in the first place. jeno, jaemin, and renjun’s apartment was a modest little thing off-campus from _airi_ academy, but it was definitely a far travel from _shangxiajiu_ street. 

donghyuck and jeno sat cross-legged on the floor of renjun’s room. it was a neat, almost minimalistic place, walls filled with pictures of cpop celebrities that jeno didn’t recognise. jeno had drawn the curtains and switched off the lights and fan, so that only natural sunlight was present. it made the room a little stuffy, if jeno was being honest with himself.

“leave him be, hyuckie.” jaemin said. he was curled up into a ball on renjun’s bed, cuddling with renjun’s prized moomin plushie. if renjun were here, he would have thrown them out of his room by now. “just wait till it explodes in his face.” 

jeno sighed. “at least help me turn on the gas on this thing.”

the pastel blue pot rested precariously on a portable gas stove that jeno bought online, looking decidedly out of place on the white marble floor. it hadn’t come with an instruction manual, and none of them cooked on a regular gas stove enough to know how to use it, either.

“just press down on the knob and turn it to the left,” donghyuck told him. he was beginning to scoot backwards a little. “i’ve seen johnny use it at home before.” 

an ominous ticking sound ensued, and tiny blue flames sprung up neatly. “nice.” 

“now what?”

“i have to chant something, shh.” jeno cleared his throat. 

“princess chang ‘er, princess chang ‘er, grant me the elixir of immortality.” the room went quiet. silence blanketed the air, heavy with possibility.

chang’er, goddess of the moon, thief of the elixir of immortality. jeno remembered her from his childhood, his mother narrating her tale to him as a bedtime story. in his mind, she was a beautiful young woman in white flowing robes.

she was the wife of hou yi, who had received the elixir of immortality as a gift from the gods. one day, while hou yi wasn’t home, thieves broke into their house searching for the elixir. fearing for her life, she drank the elixir herself out of desperation. the elixir floated her to the moon, where she remained till today.

even if she was from a folk tale, a figure of aimless imagination, in that moment, she was the only thing jeno had left. he took a shuddering breath, feeling the swirling desperation in his heart.

he could feel everyone’s eyes on him as he knelt before the tiny, tiny pot. he raised it delicately, tenderly, till the hot metal pressed against his lips, scathing. jeno shuddered. heat rushed through him, consuming him whole, burning down everything in its path.

the concoction was _vile_ , yet as sweet as honey. it was like nothing he’s ever tasted before. jeno gulped it down hungrily, like a man in the middle of the desert, hoping for retribution. he’s almost too reluctant to set the pot down. 

jeno’s ears were ringing. hope was a dreadful, beautiful dove that beat its wings frantically against the ribcage of his chest.

the blue flames of the gas stove continued to burn.

jaemin broke the silence first. “dude. you just had the nastiest drink _ever_.”

  
  


-

  
  


renjun was walking back from the tea house when he felt a strange emotion wrap its fingers around his throat. it burrowed into his chest, a strong feeling of unease and worry that something was deeply, irreversibly _wrong_.

the alley was barely illuminated by neon shop signs, desolate in the late night. he traced his fingers alongside the cobblestone wall of the alley as he walked, taking quick steps forward. 

the monster was not a monster at first.

at first, it was a fox-like girl leaning against the side of the alley, pink neon lights flickering across her face. her dark, pretty eyes were trained on renjun. “where are you going, handsome?” her voice, high and feminine, felt like honey that left a too-sweet taste in his mouth. 

“none of your business.” renjun averted his eyes and sped up his footsteps, but it was too late. she lashed out with an elegant hand, long nails digging deep into his arm.

renjun froze.

“that wasn’t a question.” she almost _purred_. “come with me, and nothing bad will happen to you.”

renjun turned to look at her. in the neon-lit alley, her clothes seemed to almost sparkle with the moving lights, sharp features highlighted dangerously. something about her gaze was piercing, magnetising, drawing him in. 

“i’m sorry, miss. i need to get back home as soon as possible.” he managed a small smile. his mother had taught him to be nice to strangers, after all. 

the stranger pouted, and took a step closer to him. “you can take me home, too.” gazing into her eyes, renjun couldn’t help but lean forward. she was beautiful in a way that was almost otherworldly. as she smirked, mouth red and inviting, renjun felt as if he’d been enchanted, enraptured, enthralled by the curve of her lips. 

bewitched.

a ferocious growl echoed in his head. _his dragon._ renjun jerked backward abruptly, and panic coursed through his veins, hot and sudden. the world came flooding back. he hadn’t noticed it before, but now he saw it; the shadows of the alley shimmered with a barely-there glow. 

she must have seen his expression shift; in a flash, she had him pinned against the wall. “seems like i’ll have to do this the hard way, then,” she mused, and kicked his legs out from underneath him.

renjun crumpled to the ground. he struggled to pick himself up again, mind racing, reaching, searching inwards for his magic. the girl was no longer a girl but a majestic nine-tailed fox, almost thrice the height of renjun. a tail wrapped itself around renjun’s leg, lifting him up into the air to dangle him as if he was useless.

the fear burst out of renjun as soon as he squeezed his eyes shut, exploding out of him in an intense, enormous burst of fire. the fox spirit yowled and dropped him to the ground. when it looked at him again, its eyes were more annoyed than angry. 

“dammit.” it grumbled. its tails twisted and waved in the air, restless. “the gods say that i can’t eat witches. you got lucky today, boy.” 

in the blink of an eye, the fox spirit pulled its disguise over itself, returning back to that human girl who was talking to renjun moments ago. 

it looked at renjun disdainfully. “move along now. if you see any lost human, just direct them my way.” 

renjun didn’t think twice before he ran.

  
  


-

  
  


donghyuck first noticed something was wrong when minghao, of all people, turned up at _jing ying_ herbal shop. 

minghao was bony, long-limbed, but underneath that were muscles trained from years of dancing and a self-discipline made of steel. donghyuck had heard it from renjun before: minghao didn’t eat anything cold, didn’t eat fried food, didn’t drink alcohol. he was part of the national b-boying team, after all. out of all the people donghyuck knew, minghao took his health the most seriously. 

he was in a long dark coat, scarf wrapped tightly around his throat, cutting an imposing figure as he entered the store. still, when he saw donghyuck behind the counter, his face lit up. 

“donghyuck, is taeyong free right now?” he asked, wincing as he spoke. his voice was a harsh, raspy whisper. yangyang, sitting on one of the tall stools, dashed to the storeroom to fetch him. taeyong emerged with an apologetic smile, fine powder covering his hands from mixing and crushing herbs.

donghyuck and yangyang looked on curiously from behind the counter, as minghao settled on one of the tall stools and unwrapped his scarf with careful hands. the long column of minghao’s throat revealed itself in worryingly deep red colour, almost the colour of blood itself. when minghao forced words out of his mouth, the colour deepened even further. 

taeyong frowned as he conducted the check-up, examining the inside of minghao’s mouth and the colour of his tongue. when he finally finished, he let out a sigh. “something is wrong with your energy, minghao. it’s beyond just regular science, but hopefully some medicine will ease the pain. you can only wait it out, i’m afraid.”

minghao furrowed his brows. “what does that mean? what about your magic?” 

“your illness cannot be cured by medical nor magical means,” taeyong explained patiently. “i can cure it temporarily with a potion, but trying to perform magic on it is a losing battle. i’m sorry.” 

minghao sighed. “does it have something to do with the full moon?”

out of the corner of his eye, donghyuck saw yangyang stiffen next to him, and mentally prepared himself for all the explaining he had to do later.

“yes, it does. the universe is out of balance, even more than usual,” taeyong said. “the moon gods are fighting with one another, or against something else completely. the veil between the mortal and immortal realms are at its thinnest during the full moon, and the longer the moon is motionless in orbit, the more danger we will be in. your supernatural illness is an example of that. i am a witch, but i, too, answer to the gods.”

the room was silent for a moment. finally, minghao nodded. “i understand. i’ll take any medicine you can prescribe me right now.”

soon, minghao left with a bag of pills, a powdered combination of _mahuang_ and _tangkuei_. when the door jingled shut behind him, the store settled into emptiness again, and yangyang turned to them with wide, worried eyes. 

“tell me everything.”

  
  


-

  
  


that night, donghyuck dreamt of the dead. 

he’s trapped in the store, trembling beneath the counter as the wooden door heaved under the weight of bodies. no one else was there, just him and the dead, waiting to make him theirs. the fear thrummed inside him, electric. distantly, donghyuck felt the hot slide of tears down his cheeks.

the door splintered. footsteps spilled into the room, a loud and terrible thunder. donghyuck squeezed his eyes shut. _just a dream just a dream JUST A DREAM —_

he’s met with a grotesques rendition of taeyong’s grinning face, skin pulled back to reveal rotting flesh. taeyong, kind, soft, taeyong, mutated into a nightmare.

the monster’s breath was wet, heavy against donghyuck’s skin, claws gripped tight on his shoulders. when it spoke, its voice was a deep growl. _“the people will die.”_

donghyuck awakened with a scream.

  
  


-

  
  


fact: _guangzhou_ was one of the most congested cities in china.

jeno’s mother and elder sister had always held his hand when they crossed the streets. in this city brimming with potential and impatience to fulfill aforementioned potential, the people here didn’t heed to others easily. traffic lights and pedestrian crossings were a minefield that jeno and his family hadn’t yet been skilled enough to navigate. 

once, jeno had tripped and fallen in the middle of a pedestrian crossing, skinning his left knee on the rough asphalt. barely a hair’s breadth away from him, the engine of a sleek blue car hums, poised for attack. it had been a monster, breathing down his neck. 

“jeno!” his elder sister had shouted. a man had rolled down the window of that blue beast, yelling angrily. the foreign language had grated on jeno’s ears, rough and unyielding. panic had filled his lungs like water, threatening to drown him in its depths.

_i can’t die, not yet. i can’t die like this. i can’t die._

jeno still remembered the way that time had stopped at that moment, suspended in the air. for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. that feeling of helplessness, of staring down death in the face, had been terribly, terrifyingly visceral.

he couldn’t remember what happened afterward. the scar on his kneecap faded from an angry red to an ugly, blurry shade of brown, a constant reminder of the way death had almost snatched him away.

sitting cross-legged on his bed, jeno rubbed the pads of his fingers absentmindedly against it, laptop balanced between his knees. his sister was no more than blurry pixels on the laptop screen, but he could tell she was frowning. from the looks of it, she was still in her office, blazer rumpled and hair pinned back in a bun that was slowly coming loose.

“i just transferred this month’s allowance, and i saw your account balance,” she said. “you really need to save up more.”

jeno nodded. he’d learnt long ago that there was no use trying to argue back against her.

“what about getting a job?”

“i’m busy with school, you know that.” the same excuse as always.

“you can’t rely on me forever.” the same reply. 

“i’ll try, i promise.” jeno ran a frustrated hand through his hair. he didn’t know how their relationship had soured to this. they used to be inseparable, siblings against the world.

“mom would want you to try, you know.” jeno froze. the room shrank and shrank and shrank until it was suffocating him whole.

unaware, his sister continued. “...and it’s school break, isn’t it? you should get out of the house more, stop getting caught up in your head and —”

“i have to go.” jeno interrupted. his sister halted in her words for a moment, shocked, before she immediately started to protest, but jeno was already cutting off the call. he’d suffer the wrath of her anger later, but right now, all he could feel was static. 

the scar on his knee throbbed distantly.

  
  


-

  
  


when jaemin arrived at liwan lake park, he made a direct beeline for the cordoned-off area hidden away in the corner of the park. it was blocked off by a tall, metal gate, but for jaemin, all it took was a running leap, and he’s pulling himself over it smoothly. 

“stop trying to act cool, nana,” he heard donghyuck scoff. the three witches were already there: taeyong spreading out a picnic mat, renjun sprawled on the grass with his phone in his hands, and donghyuck simply dangling his hands into the lake. to jaemin’s surprise, yangyang was there as well, helping taeyong. 

“what’s with the picnic mat?” he asked curiously, settling down on the grass nearby. 

“i thought it would be nice for us to sit here for a while after today’s practice,” taeyong smiled. “we’ve never had so many people here before.”

distantly, jaemin felt yangyang’s eyes on him. before jaemin could say anything, yangyang blurted out, “are you a witch, too?”

jaemin waved him off. “nah, i’m just here to watch them.”

“enjoying the view?” yangyang teased, and jaemin let out a surprised laugh. this yangyang was far from the timid, scared boy he met at the shop. his smile was bright, stunning in a way that knocked jaemin off-kilter for a moment. 

they found themselves settled on the picnic mat, watching as taeyong led renjun and donghyuck in practicing magic. yangyang watched them with rapt attention, fascinated as renjun spun a column of water in the air. “that’s so cool.”

“it’s magic, you get used to it after a while,” jaemin shrugged. 

yangyang scrunched up his face, thinking. “i don’t think magic is supposed to be something you get used to. magic is like breathing, you know? you do it all the time, but when you truly notice it, when you truly cherish it, that’s when it’s the most precious.”

jaemin turned to look at him. yangyang wore a soft, fond smile as he watched the others. jaemin’s breath caught in his throat for a moment. he cleared his throat. “that’s really cheesy, dude.”

he laughed as yangyang pushed at his shoulder.

  
  


-

  
  


donghyuck’s day, unfortunately, started with the front door getting ripped off its hinges completely. 

it slammed against the opposite shelf of neatly-arranged jars of herbs, sending it toppling to the floor in a loud crash. donghyuck yelped, dropping the magazine he was reading, and immediately ducked under the counter. 

his heart pounded in his chest. inwardly, he lamented all the ordering forms he would have to do all over again.

“where is yangyang?” a loud voice demanded. donghyuck froze. it was early morning; taeyong was out on a grocery run, johnny slept like the dead, and yangyang was upstairs, still fast asleep. 

whoever yangyang had been connected to in the past, had definitely arrived to stir up trouble. in that moment, donghyuck cursed his fondness for yangyang, and made a split-second decision.

he popped out from behind the counter and plastered on his best customer service smile. “hello, how can i help you today—” before he even finished his sentence, he found himself thrown against the wall harshly, suspended in the air.

the man looked like he had just come straight out of a period drama, dressed impeccably in a flowy blue traditional robe. his arm was raised, magic still pinning donghyuck to the wall. when their eyes met, the man looked almost surprised, but schooled his expression back into anger almost immediately.

“i don’t want to hurt you,” he warned. “where is yangyang?” 

donghyuck cocked his head. “why should i tell you?” as soon as the sentence left his mouth, he closed his eyes and prayed to survive.

to donghyuck’s relief, taeyong chose that exact moment to enter the store. his eyes widened as he took in the damage, and he dropped the grocery bags to the floor with a loud slam. 

his eyes flashed with magic. “leave him alone.”

taeyong sent a spell careening in the air. to donghyuck’s horror, the man merely scoffed as it hit him, then bounced off uselessly. _that’s impossible_ , he thought to himself deliriously. 

“don’t you recognise me?” the man asked with a smirk, staring him down. 

when taeyong took a closer look at the man, he let out a gasp. donghyuck watched in shock as he hurriedly scrambled to a kneel.

“qian kun, god of the moon,” taeyong murmured, head bowed. 

“what’s with all the noise?” yangyang, rumpled and sleepy and still in his pajamas, emerged. when he spotted the man, his eyes went wide and alert, jaw dropping in shock. “kun-ge?” 

“yangyang-ah!” the man dashed over in an instant and enveloped yangyang in a crushing hug, swaying them from side to side. taeyong and donghyuck merely watched on in confusion. 

for a long moment, there was silence, broken only by low sobbing. finally, taeyong sighed, and turned to donghyuck. “when johnny sees the shelf, he’s going to have a fit.”

  
  


-

  
  


it took them a while, but everything fell into place eventually. donghyuck sent a message to the group chat with the _airi_ academy boys, taeyong offered a cup of hot tea to kun, and johnny simply sighed and ate brunch. 

sitting in the living room with a god was definitely not something donghyuck could ever imagine himself doing. kun perched on the edge of the sofa next to yangyang, one leg over the other, arms folded across his chest. he was frowning, hard. he looked distinctly out of place with his blue robes.

renjun broke the tense atmosphere first. “so. you’re a god?” he asked sceptically. he was squeezed between jeno and jaemin on one of the other couches, unfortunately too far away for donghyuck to lean over and hit him for asking such a stupid question.

“you don’t believe me?” kun scoffed. “try to kill me, then.” at that, renjun’s eyes lit up. 

his eyes then glazed over for a moment, an action donghyuck recognised as him searching for that dragon of his. to his surprise, instead of a spell, a tiny, green dragon seemed to appear out of thin air. it roared, breathing fire ferociously, but as soon as kun looked at it, the dragon _cowered,_ scurrying back to renjun.

renjun’s eyes widened as his dragon burrowed into his arms. finally, he sighed. “alright. but i still don’t trust you,” he grumbled.

kun unravelled the story for them slowly, yangyang filling in the gaps when he faltered. he told them of the nameless witch that kidnapped yangyang, of the curse rendering yangyang to a mortal again, of his ceaseless search for him around the world, looking in every magical hotspot. 

out of the corner of his eye, donghyuck registered jeno getting tenser and tenser, left hand gripped tight onto the armrest.

“taeil and i are known as the moon gods, but yangyang’s a newly-turned immortal; it’ll be a while before he achieves god status. the mortals only know him as chang ‘er. he’s the only one out of the three of us that can still be harmed by magic,” kun explained. “i don’t know how the witch managed to reach us, but they did. without yangyang, we can’t control the moon.” 

“so now what?” jaemin asked. “they might hurt yangyang at any time.”

kun sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “we have to break the curse somehow. i thought that if i found yangyang, i would automatically find the witch as well. but they aren’t here.”

taeyong leaned forward in concentration, resting his arms on his knees. “do you think it’s black magic?”

“it certainly feels like that. the curse is the most malicious magic i’ve felt in a long time. the longer the moon stays suspended in the night sky, the thinner the veil between the worlds 

become. the monsters are getting restless. sooner or later, the mortals will be attacked.”

donghyuck remembered his dream, and he shuddered. 

“we’ll help you find the witch,” taeyong said resolutely. “i swear it on my life.”

  
  


-

  
  


black magic witches are tracked by the international association of magic, taeyong explained. they were dangerous individuals, capable of killing and harming thousands of people. but without the law on their side, the association could only do so much to stop them. 

“i’ll request for their help, see if they can give us some locations. for such an urgent case like this, hopefully backup will be given too. if not, i’ll go with kun to find the witch.” taeyong told them the next day. “for now, all we can do is wait.”

yangyang seemed to have become more relaxed in kun’s presence, donghyuck noticed. he had insisted on showing kun around as much as possible, so that’s how donghyuck ended up here — sitting across the two of them at the nearby tea house, that is, and watching in amusement as kun took his very first sip of bubble tea and made a face of disgust. it was the most expression donghyuck had seen on his face so far.

yangyang cackled, slapping his palm on the table. kun choked for a moment, before swallowing hard. dressed in johnny’s old clothes that were just the slightest bit too oversized for him, he wiped a long shirt sleeve over his mouth. “why do you mortals do this to yourself?”

“it’s my favourite drink, actually.” donghyuck told him.

kun peered into the plastic cup, using the straw to poke at the pearls. “i come back to the mortal realm after hundreds of years, and this is what i get,” he muttered.

they were seated in a secluded corner of the shop, away from most of the customers. from donghyuck’s point of view, he could see jaemin at the front counter, face scrunched up in concentration as he fiddled with the cashier. for some strange reason, he seemed to be the only one working today. 

jaemin looked up from the cashier for a moment, and smiled when their eyes meet. donghyuck pulled an ugly face back in reply. yangyang turned to look at jaemin too, sending him a big wave. 

it was a simple, soft sort of day, the kind that donghyuck wanted to live in forever. he sipped at his own bubble tea, watching fondly as kun and yangyang bickered. in this moment stolen away in time, donghyuck let himself relax for the first time in a while.

  
  


-

  
  


when there’s a knock on renjun door, renjun wasn’t surprised. jeno was a darkened shadow lingering at the doorway, eyes glinting like the sunlight off closed windows. the night was a pitch-black monster that threatened to swallow them whole. 

jeno tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. wordlessly, renjun let him into his room. 

sometimes, renjun forgot how much of jeno was always hidden away. jeno, strong-featured and handsome, carried tragedy draped heavy around him, body perpetually in fight-or-flight. it had taken a while for renjun to realise that the slump of his shoulders was from carrying the weight of the world.

renjun leaned against the ledge of his desk, watching as jeno sat across from him, on the edge of renjun’s bed. his gaze was cast downwards, voice hard. “why didn’t you tell me?”

renjun had seen it coming. he tilted his head back to sigh. “you know we couldn’t.”

“why don’t you trust me?” jeno’s shoulders were trembling. in his mind, renjun pictured atlas holding up the celestial heavens; how close the world was to ending. 

renjun held his gaze. “we thought you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

the world around jeno tilted, and crashed to the ground. even then, he couldn’t help but ask. “can you bring her back? can you make me immortal?”

“no, jeno. nothing in the world ever will.” renjun’s voice was barely louder than a whisper, but his heart thundered in his chest. “not your elixirs, not our magic. nothing.” 

jeno liked facts. liked cold, hard truth. when the world had almost ended for him, he learnt this:

fact: More than 700 people were killed in road accidents across China every day. 

fact: memories were supposed to fade after a while, faces blurring and voices silenced. but jeno— jeno remembered. he forced himself to. he remembered his mother’s tears, her panicked eyes, her arms that had held him close til they had gone slack, then still, still held on. 

  
  


lee jeno didn’t cry. lee jeno, head tall and chest puffed out, wasn’t a cryer at any means at all. but this time, he curled into himself, and let the tears fall. he was car crash incarnate, a living tragedy. 

there’s a cold nudge on his arm. when jeno looked up, sniffling, he saw renjun’s dragon, a tiny thing that looked at him with big eyes. up close, it was a beauty, with dark green scales that gleamed beautifully in the dim light, jeno yelped when it breathed out a puff of fire that almost set the edge of his shirt ablaze 

renjun looked on fondly. “it was a gift from my mom. sometimes, i think it misses her more than i do.” 

jeno tried to compose himself, inhaling and exhaling in long, shuddery breaths. he stroked the dragon’s head. its scales were solid and sturdy under his touch, anchoring him to the moment. 

renjun’s mother had left when he was young, leaving little impression on his life. but when jeno thought of his mother, he thought of a wound. he thought of the world collapsing around him in rubble, leaving nothing behind. it was donghyuck and renjun and jaemin that had pulled him out of the debris, little by little. but at times like this, jeno couldn’t help but want to stay buried in his grief forever.

renjun stood up abruptly. he crossed the room in a few steps, and took jeno’s hands in his own. like this, they’re almost face-to-face, renjun’s worried eyes meeting jeno’s teary ones. “i know it hurts. but it’ll be alright, i swear. everything will be alright.”

jeno let his head fall onto renjun’s shoulder, tears staining renjun’s shirt. he didn’t quite believe renjun’s words, but for today, just for today, he let himself fall apart.

  
  
  


-

  
  


news arrived in the form of a letter, sealed and delivered onto the herbal shop’s doorstep.

“chittaphon leechaiyapornkul. age 23,” taeyong read aloud over the dining table. donghyuck was still half-asleep, half-heartedly shoving cereal into his mouth as he listened. 

“one of the most powerful dark witches in china. specializes in curses and hexes. located in _guangzhou_ , _shangxiajiu_ street.” taeyong furrowed his eyebrows. “... _chang an_ tea house? wait, isn’t that where jaemin works at?”

donghyuck froze, one hand still gripping a spoon of soggy cereal. “fuck.”

  
  
  


\- 

  
  


“you’re kidding me.” jaemin breathed out, head in his hands. the _airi_ academy boys had rushed over as soon as donghyuck called renjun, and now they were all gathered at the dining table in the early morning sunlight. 

“ten owns the tea house,” renjun told the rest. “there’s no other possibility.” 

“he told me _chang an_ meant long-lasting peace,” jaemin took a deep breath, head in his hands. “i guess he was lying the whole time.” 

the whole situation felt absurd. ten, one of the first people who ever took jaemin under his wing, who laughed at dad jokes and liked bubblegum pop, was a dark witch. his mind was a mess, trying to connect the ten he knew to taeyong was talking about, the witch who killed without remorse. 

yangyang rubbed at jaemin’s shoulder worriedly, and looked up at the rest. “so what do we do now?” 

“we have to break your curse. only the curse-maker can undo their own curse, so we have to find ten and force him to do it,” taeyong said grimly. to the others, “only yangyang, kun and i will go. no arguing.”

out of the corner of his eye, jaemin watched renjun shift restlessly on his stool, eyes bright and determined. “bring me and hyuckie too. we can help.”

“you’re still kids. we can’t put you in danger.” 

“we’re twenty. hyuckie’s visions might be useful, and my dragon and i can help.” 

there was a tense beat of silence. finally, taeyong sighed. “fine, but you guys stay behind us the whole time. and the others can’t go; they don’t have any magic for protection.”

the two of them nodded, solemn. inwardly, jaemin hoped for the best. 

-

the route to the tea house was familiar, cobblestone paths and narrow alleys that donghyuck led them through easily.

jaemin and jeno were left behind in the herbal shop with johnny, taeyong casting a powerful protection spell over the building. donghyuck thought of their worried faces, the way that jaemin hugged all of them before they left, and felt his resolve strengthen.

taeyong had chosen for them to attack late at night on a weekday to ensure that the store was closed when they arrived, so that no customers would be in potential danger. he muttered a quick spell and the front door clicked open for them. they slipped in silently. 

inside, the night blanketed the place, clothing it in darkness, save for moonlight from the closed windows. the chairs and tables were all neatly arranged, and donghyuck’s heart ached for a moment as he spotted the familiar booth in the back, where he was just there with yangyang and kun last week. the two of them were standing next to him now, their faces grim.

taeyong moved first, to the staircase behind the counter. it was a direct contrast to the one in donghyuck’s house, in the very same spot. “come on. let’s do this.” taeyong said, one hand gripped onto the banister. 

donghyuck’s heart raced. 

one moment he was behind renjun, climbing up the steep staircase with his heart in his throat, and the next moment, he felt the world around him topple and close in on him. 

donghyuck yelled, thrashing around and trying to break free of his phantom restraints. _a trap._ of course. he was suspended in the air by thick, winding vines that wrapped around him tightly. 

they were upstairs now, in a space reminiscent of donghyuck’s living room but so, so much different. it was sparse, walls painted dark blue, with only a simple television set and a plush, red sofa. 

and there he was. ten. sitting in that sofa with a newspaper in his hands, looking for all the world _surprised_ , as if receiving unexpected visitors.

“oh, hello.” he said, standing up from his seat.

donghyuck yelled, but nothing in his voice came out. next to him, renjun and yangyang were in a similar state. only taeyong and kun seemed to have escaped unscathed. 

taeyong sent a spell careening towards ten, but ten dodged it easily. he muttered under his breath, as a giant scorpion appeared out of thin air, charging towards taeyong. kun shouted, and ran forward, sending a blast of energy towards ten.

ten grunted as it hit him, sending him lurching backwards. but he picked himself up easily. “i could do this all day,” he smiled. 

donghyuck’s heart dropped in his chest as he watched the battle rage on. when taeyong managed to banish the giant scorpion away, he sent a strong gust of wind that swept ten up off his feet. as ten spun in air from the whirlwind, a necklace under his shirt slipped free and smacked him in the face.

donghyuck froze. the visions came back to him all at once: the indecipherable front page of a newspaper, the sway of a robe sleeve, the glint of an amulet necklace. 

the glint of an amulet necklace. 

he thrashed in his restraints again, helpless, eyes never leaving the jade necklace around ten’s neck. that was it. that was the key. 

taeyong and kun were too caught up in their battle to notice donghyuck. beside him, renjun struggled, glowing from his magic and finally, _finally_ broke free from his restraints. he hurried to undo donghyuck and yangyang’s as well.

“the amulet,” donghyuck gasped as soon as the vines loosened. “i saw it in a vision. we have to break the amulet.”

renjun’s eyes widened, and he nodded. “i’ll try— i’ll try to turn invisible.” 

“you’ve never tried that before, have you? donghyuck asked, worried. 

renjun merely shook his head. “but i can do. i can try.” his eyes glazed over, for far, far longer than usual. donghyuck watched as renjun fought the dragon inside him, face pinched in pain and concentration. 

finally, he disappeared from sight. donghyuck’s heart squeezed in his chest. he held onto yangyang tightly as they hid behind the sofa, watching as the battle raged on. 

“you didn’t think you could defeat me, did you?” ten smirked. taeyong and kun fought against an enormous viper snake that hissed and spat out venom. taeyong’s magic was running low, and kun looked exhausted. they were losing, and quickly. 

finally, the snake wrapped its tail around the two of them and squeezed tight. they gasped for breath, suspended in mid-air as they struggled. 

“good fight, fellas!” ten said, clapping his hands. “now let me get back to my news— “

renjun must have grabbed the amulet, because ten suddenly gasped, scrabbling at his neck. the necklace snapped and fell onto the floor, the jade amulet shattering into millions of tiny shards. 

all of a sudden, ten’s powers vanished. the snake keeled over onto the ground, releasing taeyong and kun. he was brought to his knees. “it’s gone!” he yelled, powerless. seizing the moment, kun trapped him in a spell immediately, pinning him to the wall. 

beside donghyuck, yangyang started to _glow_. the light around him grew brighter and brighter, blinding the room. donghyuck squeezed his eyes shut. when he opened them again, yangyang was floating in the air, a wide smile on his face. 

“nice,” he said. 

it was finally over. 

  
  


— 

  
  


they left ten in his house, still bound to the wall. the spell would wear off in a while, taeyong said. he didn’t have any powers left, and they doubted he would come after them anytime soon. 

“yangyang!” jaemin engulfed him in a hug. back in the living room, the air was joyous and relieved as the rest exchanged hugs and smiles. they flopped onto the sofas, exhausted, but kun and yangyang stood in front of them, smiling softly. 

“we don’t have time,” kun told them. “i’m sorry that we have to leave so abruptly.”

taeyong smiled. “it’s fine. the world is in your hands, after all.” he stood up and hugged kun. “come back to visit, maybe?” 

“of course.” yangyang said. he shot jaemin a soft smile. “we’ll be back before you know it. just gotta fix the moon first.” 

jaemin smiled back, heart squeezing in his chest. from the very first day, he had known yangyang was special. he just never expected it to be _this._ the realisation that he liked yangyang, liked him more than just a friend, was too little, too late. 

kun and yangyang joined hands, facing one another. the air between them started to hum. a ball of light ( _moonlight_ , jaemin thought to himself), started to form, until it engulfed the both of them. when the light disappeared, they were gone. just like that, they were gone.

-

  
  


“do you think they’ll ever come back?” jaemin asked renjun, a week afterwards. they were sitting at their regular spot by the lake, staring up at the crescent moon.

“they’re gods; they must be busy.” renjun shrugged. he paused for a moment. “but i hope so.”

jaemin peered at the moon. he thought of yangyang, of his cheeky smile and loud laughter. all of a sudden, the dark spots on the moon seemed to shift before his very eyes. he watched, fascinated, as they shifted into the shape of a heart. the world around him tilted for a moment. 

“i hope so, too.” jaemin said, eyes glued to the sky. “i really, really hope so.”

**Author's Note:**

> aaand thats the end! this took a ridiculously long time to complete TAT thank u to tea for being so kind and patient with me, and to my betas too, for being 10/10 ! i actually would die for u !! 
> 
> kudos and comments are appreciated and loved, as always <3 for this fic they will be endlessly locked away in my heart forever tbh


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